Where's Armaldo? (Japanese: ドクター・モロボシの島！化石ポケモン現る！！Island of Doctor Moroboshi! Fossil Pokémon Appear!!) is the 102nd episode of the Advanced Generation series, and the 376th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on November 11, 2004 and in the United States on November 19, 2005.

Contents

Synopsis

Ash and his friends continue their journey, this time stopping at Wales Island, a crescent moon-shaped island. Ash and May can't wait to stop and do more training for their next battles.

On the beach, May and Ash immediately begin their training, with Ash having Pikachu practice some of its attacks on a floating log. Soon, May happily exclaims that her Bulbasaur has finally learned Petal Dance. Sure enough, Bulbasaur is able to use the move to slice a hole through an incoming wave.

Meanwhile, Max is out by himself gathering firewood in the forest when spots a Cradily. Max screams and the Pokémon runs off. Hearing the scream, the others come running and Max explains what he saw. Brock says that Cradily is supposed to be extinct. As Ash looks for the Pokémon, May suggests that maybe he mistook it for another Pokémon. Suddenly, a Breloom appears, and everyone assumes that this is what Max saw.

Max insists that he really saw a Cradily and runs off, anxious to prove them wrong. As he explores the forest, Max comes across a mansion with what appears to be a laboratory inside. Through the window, he's also able to see that there are many Lileep inside, which are the pre-evolved form of Cradily. Suddenly Max is caught by a man in a lab coat.

As Ash and the others look for Max in the forest, a Cradily appears behind them! A woman in a lab coat quickly follows it, and Brock falls madly in love. The woman introduces herself as Annie Proctor, and ask what they're doing in the forest. Ash and May explain what happened, and Annie thinks Max probably ended up at the laboratory.

Everyone is taken to the lab, where Max is waiting with Professor Proctor, Annie's husband. Brock is crushed to find out she's married. There they see the Lileep, and May wonders how they could be there since they're supposed to be extinct. Annie and Prof. Proctor explain that the Pokémon were cloned from Fossils, and the gang are eager to learn more. Outside, Team Rocket spy on everyone and listen in.

Professor Proctor begins to explain that when they were alive, Lileep, Cradily, Anorith, and Armaldo lived on a peninsula, that has since broken off to become an Wales Island. Once the land was isolated, the Pokémon became extinct. They also found nearby Fossils of fruit that are believed to be their main source of food. Professor Proctor then explains that they were able to extract Lileep from the Root Fossil, while Anorith was extracted from a Claw Fossil. Professor Proctor thinks that he'll be famous for the work he's done with the ancient Pokémon, but Annie tells the kids that they haven't made any official announcement to the scientific world at the moment. Outside, Jessie, James, and Meowth begin plotting to steal the Pokémon.

Back in the lab, Annie exclaims that an Anorith is ready to evolve, so the gang gathers to watch. After its successful evolution into an Armaldo, a net appears and grabs Armaldo. Team Rocket begin to gleefully reel in their catch, but Armaldo uses Metal Claw to break free of the net and uses Water Gun on Team Rocket, breaking them through the wall of the lab and blasting them off again. Unfortunately Armaldo is enraged and turns its Water Gun on Ash and the rest of the lab before storming outside.

Ash and the others begin to give chase into the forest, confused as to why Armaldo turned on them. They soon find Armaldo chewing on some fruit, unable to find any it likes. When they try to convince it to come back to the lab, it launches another Water Gun, which everyone is able to dodge. Pikachu tries to explain things to Armaldo, and the group decide that maybe having Pokémon of the same type talk to it would help. So since May's Beautifly and Brock's Forretress share Armaldo's Bug-type traits, they are sent out to talk.

The talks fail, however, when Armaldo uses Metal Claw attack on the Pokémon. They're all able to dodge, but Ash decides to try battling it, and calls on his Corphish and orders it to use Crabhammer on Armaldo. Armaldo merely swats Corphish away. Meanwhile the Professor notes Armaldo's dislike of the nearby fruit. Corphish recovers and uses BubbleBeam, but Armaldo counters it with a Water Gun attack and succeeds in blasting through Corphish's attack and ending the battle. As Ash tends to Corphish, Armaldo uses Metal Claw to burrow into the ground and escape.

As May wonders if Armaldo is looking for something, Professor Proctor theorizes that it is looking for the fruit the species ate when the island was still a peninsula. Today, the Berries only exist at the very tip of the crescent-shaped island. Sure enough they find Armaldo there, but it's grabbed by a Team Rocket mecha that resembles a tank with arms. After Team Rocket says their motto, Meowth says that they should go back to the lab to grab the Lileep there, so the tank-mecha makes its way to the lab. Professor Proctor gives chase until he's close enough to jump on the back. Once on the mecha, the Professor pounds on the mecha to let Armaldo know that he's there, and Armaldo recognizes that he's there to help. James notices that Professor Proctor is on the mecha, and swerves in attempt to fling him off. The Professor manages to cling on, so James has the mecha's arms grab him and toss him off it. The doctor lands with a thud in front of Ash and the others, who are trying their best to keep up.

Ash has Pikachu use Thunderbolt, but the attack is useless. May then calls on her Bulbasaur to use Petal Dance on some rocks on the cliff above the mecha. The attack causes an avalanche of rocks to fall down, blocking the road. The mecha crashes into the rocks and flips over. Max sees that the bottom of the mecha is ordinary metal, so attacks can probably get through it. Professor Proctor pounds on the mecha to tell Armaldo where the weak spot is, and it uses Metal Claw to break free.

Team Rocket doesn't give up, with Meowth jumping forward to use Fury Swipes on Armaldo. Armaldo counters with Rock Blast and bends Meowth's claws. Bulbasaur then steps in and uses Petal Dance, followed by Pikachu with a Thunder attack, sending Team Rocket blasting off again.

With Armaldo safe, the Pokémon finds its favorite Berries and eats happily, thankful for the rescue and much more friendly now. Also, since Bulbasaur did so well in battle, May decides to use it in her next Pokémon Contest. Before resuming their journey, Ash and the gang enjoy the beautiful sunset with Professor Proctor, Annie, and Armaldo.